Overcast Skies
by Animegirl1129
Summary: Cain & Ambrose's relationship progresses like the changes in the weather around them. Fic challenge on LJ. Slash.
1. Snow

Overcast Skies

**_This _was written for the 'Weather' table over at missioninsane on LJ. It'll be a 10 chapter fic and this is part one. I'll post them as I get them done. The characters aren't mine, as we all know by now. _Enjoy!_**

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_01 - Snow_

"I'm afraid that with this snow storm blowing in as fast as it did we were unable to complete the preparations for several of the suites." The man in charge of arranging everything needed for their arrival at the Northern Palace looked rather embarrassed to have been caught in such a situation, but the seemingly never ending torrent of snow made just about everything impossible. It was a wonder in and of itself that they made it here in one piece.

The group of six, while concerned about the effect this would have on their stay, didn't argue. They just waited for further explanation of what this change would entail. "What will the arrangements be, then, Windsor." DG inquired finally.

"Well, Princess DG, you and your sister, will have to share a room. The King and Queen will have theirs, just down the hall. But, I'm afraid the Advisor and the Tin Man will also have to share a room." That seemed to be the possible flaw in his plan.

Cain glared, shifting his bag on his shoulder - having insisted on carrying it himself.

"That's fine by me." Ambrose said, before Cain could actually protest and volunteer to sleep on the floor or some other equally uncomfortable surface. "If you agree, Tin Man."

With a roll of his eyes and a nod, he complied, following behind a rambling Ambrose and another of the palace servers. When they finally reached the room they'd be sharing at the end of a maze of hallways, the snow had begun to come down even harder.

"Don't think that mess is gonna let up anytime soon." He muttered, glancing out the window as he dropped his bag by one of the twin armoires the room held. In between sat a large king sized bed with a desk off to either side of the room. A master bathroom and a small balcony currently closed off due to the weather.

"If I had brought my Nivo-barometric calculator I'd be able to tell you. But, sadly, it wouldn't fit with my supplies." Ambrose seemed rather disappointed in that fact. "I must say, though. I haven't seen it precipitate like that in quite a while!"

Cain snorted, used to the genius speak by this point. He could usually take an estimated guess at what the man was talking about and if he couldn't he tuned out. Not always polite, but effective.

"You coming to dinner or going to hide out in your lab?" They'd had a temporary room set up in the basement for Ambrose's inventing until a more suitable one could be constructed.

"Dinner, I think. The journey here was rather long." The two men exited the room together, Ambrose leading by memory to the grand hall.

They'd nearly reached it when the generators power the Palace fizzled out and the entire hall they were in went black. "Well, that was unexpected." Ambrose said, his hand searching out Cain in the darkness. He found the Tin Man's arm in the shadows, taking a step closer to him as they continued through the corridors.

Some light still filtered through the coats of snow on the windows, allowing them to see the path they'd been following. After several unintended twists and turns, they ended up in the grand hall. DG and Ahamo were already present and the Queen and Azkadellia were just moments behind.

"Oh, dear!" The Queen exclaimed, taking in the room as maids bustled about with candles. "This storm is a strong one."

The fact that the Palace was cloaked in an eerie darkness did not, however, make anyone less hungry. Windsor had appeared again, that same remorseful apologetic look on his face. "The storm has knocked out our generators. It will take some time to be able to get the back-up generators powered up. Unfortunately, though, the power failed before we were able to prepare most of the meal. We have vegetables and…"

"Do you have chilled, cooked meat? And those delicious rolls?" DG piped up again, an idea coming to mind.

"Why, yes, we do. May I ask why?"

"It's an other side thing." She answered, gesturing for the group to follow her towards the abandoned kitchen. With her magic, she lit several candles scattered about the room in the haste of the hurried staff.

The group watched as she moved about the large room, gathering platters of this and that and setting them up on a large counter. "Okay." She said, finally. "It's simple. I'll demonstrate." They watched as she took one of the rolls and split it in half. Then she applied various meats and cheeses and the occasional vegetable. "And, tada! You have a sandwich."

"There's not actual sand in it, is there?" Ambrose questioned, eyeing the concoction with apprehension.

DG laughed. "No, of course not." She offered him the sandwich. "Go ahead. Try it!"

Reluctant, but unable to turn down a scientific experiment - even if he, himself was the subject, he took a bite of the sandwich, pleasantly surprised with the result. "Wow! That is good!" He proclaimed, and the other's all followed DG's presentation on how to prepare them.

The best thing about them, though. Was that they could be taken elsewhere. The King & Queen, with their food, retreated to the Dining Room to have a proper meal, while their daughters headed up to the observatory to watch the snowstorm from a better view.

Cain and Glitch though, had both opted to return to their room, wandering about as they went, their meal wrapped up for them to enjoy when the reached their destination. "I recall a time when these halls were full of magnificent sunlight. Gorgeous patterns of color would beam through the stained glass windows by day. Admittedly, though, they casted some pretty spine-tingling shadows at night. They gave DG nightmares fairly often, I remember."

Cain listened intently as Ambrose went on about the days long past. He liked having Ambrose in his company, and if he was being honest, wasn't even that perturbed by having to share a room with the man. Which, speaking of, they'd just reached.

"I want to try the balcony." Ambrose concluded, crossing the room t push at the doors to no avail. They were weighted shut by the mountain of snow undoubtedly outside.

Cain moved to stand beside him, a hand on his shoulder and their food forgotten for the time being. "Guess we'll just have to wait for the ice to melt."

"Who knows how long that could take." Ambrose whined, in a rather Glitch like fashion, if Cain said so himself.

The tin man laughed, his own icy blue eyes meeting Ambrose's and holding their gaze. "Might be sooner than you think, Sweetheart."


	2. Wind

Overcast Skies

**_This was written for the 'Weather' table over at missioninsane on LJ. It'll be a 10 chapter fic and this is part two. I'll post them as I get them done. The characters aren't mine, as we all know by now. Enjoy! Sorry for the wait - I was playing around with different orders and stuff. So... yeah. _**

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_02 - Wind_

After the snow came the wind. A blinding, brute force windstorm, to be exact.

Power - which had been restored to the Palace once the blizzard had cleared - was now flickering in and out of functionality. The shrill howl of the wind could be heard from all parts of the grand ice palace, and often kept its current residents awake through the nights.

It was on the sixth night that a drowsy figure wandered into Cain's chambers - the room that they'd shared that first night here. Only to find the man suspiciously absent.

"Cain?" Ambrose called, eyes scanning the dark room. The bed was still made and there was no sign of the tin man's presence. So, he went to search elsewhere.

The study - where Cain could sometimes be found, was equally deserted. As were the Dining Hall, and Observatory.

Ahamo was in the Ballroom, directing several of the staff in the preparations for the Ball DG was planning.

"Have you seen Cain anywhere, Your Highness?" Ambrose inquired, bowing in respect for the King. "I can't seem to find him anywhere."

"No, Ambrose, you might check with the girls, though. They're downstairs with Tutor." He said, moving to correct the placement of several crafted patterns of colored paper that Ambrose had helped design.

He nodded. "I'll do that, thank you."

Ambrose spotted DG and Azkadellia in the entranceway - where DG had reported Glitch had been attacked by MoBats during their struggles to free the OZ - and stopped the girls in their late night lesson with Tutor.

"Princesses, have you, by chance, seen our stoic Tin Man wandering about?"

DG nodded toward the stairs he'd just come from. "He's in the old wing. Been up there for a good while now."

Ambrose paused. "The old wing? Why would he be there?" He furrowed his brow and took of in that direction, when neither Princess gave him a reply.

The old wing, as it had come to be known, was the area that the royal family had previously inhabited. Most of it was now under construction - especially one room, in which a glass window had shattered -- Then it clicked.

Glitch's memories were hard to come to grips with, and only when needed did they seem to come forward. This was apparently one of those times.

__

"DG?" The headcase called into the eerie silence of the evidently abandoned hall of the ice palace. "Raw?"

No answer came as he followed their previous path up to what had once been DG's room. The chill in the air - which had not been present before, made him shiver. And then he saw the great, gaping hole in the wall.

"Oh, my…" He gasped, spotting the metallic silver of Cain's weapon cast to the ground, and just a few feet from that was the man's beloved hat. He moved closer to what had once been a window, eyes peering downward to see a large break in the ice and a figure curled up beside it, already half covered in snow. "Cain!"

The memory spurred Ambrose into action, following the familiar path to the younger princess's childhood room with a quickness in his step that had not previously been there.

"Cain?" He called tentatively, the familiar feel of that chill in the air making his mind replay that memory all over again. "Cain! Are you here?"

The window had been patched, but the wind had blown the covering away, allowing gusts of wind to shake the room. The furniture that had been present in his memory was missing now - most likely moved or in storage, but it was certainly the same place.

He neared the drop off by the broken window, swallowing hard before glancing down, half expecting to see the tin man lying there once again.

An arm curled around his torso, pulling him away from the jagged edge. "I wouldn't stand so close, if I were you. It's kind of a long drop"

Suddenly warm and comfortable in the other's arm, his mind was put to ease. "You scared me." Ambrose accused.

"I'm sorry." Cain replied, still urging Ambrose away from the window. "How'd you know I'd be here? This wing has like 27 rooms."

"I remembered." He said, as Cain was aware of the loss of some of Glitch's memories. "When I couldn't find you, I remembered."

They began the trek back to the hall where their respective rooms were located in a companionable silence.

"Would you like to come in for a while?" Cain inquired, when they stopped at his door.

Ambrose nodded, following the man into the familiar room. He'd been spending a lot of time with the other man, and tonight was no different.

"You'll be pleased to know that the balcony is almost accessible. The wind has been blowing away the snow and ice." Cain informed him, trying the doors once more as he did every night.

Surprisingly the twin doors came flying open, aided by the gusting wind. However, there seemed to be somewhat of a block in the current of air that left the balcony free from most of the vicious winds torrent. Enough for them to step outside.

Ambrose treaded carefully on the still slick ground, Cain just behind him. "The view is gorgeous." He gasped in surprise, staring out over the other mountains. Even through the winds, the lights of Central City could be seen way off in the distance.

"Yeah, I'll say." Cain echoed, arms curling once again around the Advisors frame.

"What are you…?" Ambrose spun in the other's grasp, but his question was cut off with the press of lips on his own.

One of Cain's hands settled on Ambrose's hip, the other coming up to cup the back of the man's head, pulling him that little bit closer, while the Advisor practically melted under the ambush of emotions. Even the ice and snow around them didn't take away the warmth of Cain's body so close to his.

"Looks like the ice finally thawed." Cain said, a moment later, when they were forced to separate, a huge smile on his face.


End file.
